Douglas defeated Abraham Lincoln in a Senate contest, Stephen Douglas was nicknamed the "Little Giant" because though short in physical stature, he was a forceful and dominant figure in politics.
Essential Facts
With a strong faith in democracy, Douglas insisted that the people should make decisions about slavery locally, rather than the national government
By age 27, Douglas was elected to the House of Representatives and appointed registrar of the Springfield Land Office, Secretary of State, and an associate justice of the Illinois Supreme Court
Douglas promoted the Kansas-Nebraska Act that created territories of Kansas and Nebraska, and allowed settlers to determine whether they would allow slavery within each territory
